ucted to lend military aid
if necessary. This is right, so that speculation may be suppressed. But,
then, Commissary-General Northrop says it is _all_ for the army, and the
_people_--non-producers--may starve, for what he cares. If this
unfeeling and despotic policy be adopted by the government, it will
strangle the Confederacy--strangle it with red-tape.

I learned, to-day, that Gen. Preston, Superintendent of the Bureau of
Conscription, resigned upon seeing Gen. Bragg's and the President's
indorsements on the bureau papers; but the Secretary and the President
persuaded him to recall the resignation. He is very rich.

A practical railroad man has sent to the Secretary a simple plan, by
which twenty-five men with crowbars can keep Sherman's communications
cut.

There is a rumor that Sherman has invited Vice-President Stephens,
Senator H. V. Johnson, and Gov. Brown to a meeting with him, to confer
on terms of peace--_i.e._ the return of Georgia to the Union. The
government has called for a list of all the Georgians who have sailed
from our ports this summer.

A letter from Hon. R. W. Barnwell shows that he is opposed to any
conference with the enemy on terms of peace, except unconditional
independence. He thinks Hood hardly competent to command the army, but
approves the removal of Johnston. He thinks Sherman will go on to
Augusta, etc.

The raid toward Gordonsville is now represented as a small affair, and
to have returned as it came, after burning some mills, bridges, etc.

I saw a letter, to-day, written to the President by L. P. Walker, first
Secretary of War, full of praise. It was dated in August, before the
fall of Atlanta, and warmly congratulated him upon the removal of Gen.
Johnston.

Gov. Bonham sent a telegram to the Secretary of War, to-day, from
Columbia, asking if the President would not soon pass through that city;
if such were his intentions, he would remain there, being very anxious
to see him.

Beauregard is at Wilmington, while the whole country is calling for his
appointment to the command of the army in Georgia. Unless some great
success crowns our arms before Congress reassembles, the President will
be assailed with great bitterness, and the consequences may be fatal.

SEPTEMBER 21ST.--Cloudy and somber.

We have authentic intelligence of the defeat of our forces under Gen.
Early, near Winchester. Two generals, Rhodes and Godwin, were killed. We
lost some guns, and heavily in killed an